If you’ve ever visited Butler Library, you’ve probably noticed the stunning Columbia ironwork gates on either side of the entrance lobby. These are the works of master blacksmith Samuel Yellin (1884-1950). The Butler Library gates are a great example of his creativity and craft, but these were not his first Columbia commission. In 1913, Samuel […]
Tag: University Archives
Columbia’s Irish Elk
Did you know that an Irish elk was part of Columbia’s Geological Museum? In 1867, William Willoughby Cole, 3rd Earl of Enniskillen, who was a member of the Geological Society and had amassed quite a collection in his estate near Enniskillen, Northern Ireland, was looking to sell an Irish elk specimen. The trustees’ Committee on […]
The Locomotive Laboratory
Columbia started classes in the new Morningside Heights campus in October 1897. On this brand new campus, the engineering students finally had ample classroom and laboratory space in their two new buildings: the School of Mines (now Lewisohn) and the School of Engineering (now Mathematics). But did you know that there used to be a […]
The Hammerman: A Moving Statue
In the northeast corner of campus, Constantin Meunier’s sculpture Le Marteleur greets visitors in front of the home of the engineering school. Le Marteleur or the Hammerman was a gift of the Class of 1889 of the School of Mines (now the Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science) installed all the way back […]
King’s College Class of 1776
In April 1776, the Committee on Safety ordered the King’s College governors (or Trustees) to close the College in 6 days so they could turn the building into a hospital. While the library and the academic equipment were packed up and stored in City Hall, classes did continue to meet. The students were allowed to […]